(Disclaimer: I do not own Strange Magic or its characters. I do, however, own my OC's)

(Authors Note: Hello, dearest readers! I apologize for the wait, but I had other projects to work on that required some personal attention, but I hope you've been enjoying the story so far because I'm not finished with it yet. Until the status says 'complete' I will continue working on it whenever I find the time to do so. In the meantime, keep safe, keep reading and keep dreaming.)

(Warning: There's some sad moments near the end of this chapter, so if you don't like sadness, don't read the last several paragraphs. Just know that I only put them in because they work for my story. I'm not trying to set off triggers or upset anyone. But if you're like me, and watch Disney movies from time to time, then you know almost EVERY single one of them has a tear-jerking moment somewhere in the story. But like a Disney movie, it'll be alright and will have a happy ending...at some point. I'm not done with this story yet, so don't panic if you are in fact brave enough to read the whole chapter and find that it may or may not leave on a sadder note than the previous chapters. It'll be okay, I promise. With every storm cloud there's a rainbow at the end.)

"English/Common"

"Memory/Dreams"

XXXXX

Bog was beyond happy: he was overjoyed! Knowing that he had Dagda's blessing to marry Marianne was more than he could have hoped for. He was honestly expecting him to say no or something equally disheartening. Though, he was sure that no matter the outcome, Marianne would still find a way to see him and vice versa.

At the moment, he was flying around the Fairy Kingdom with her while she gave him a tour. He wanted to tell her what her Father had said, but that would ruin the whole surprise. At least he could look forward to proposing to her without having to worry about King Dagda disapproving of the idea. This was a major victory for Bog and now gave him further determination to finish the castle and set up a proper trade route with the fae folk. His goal now was to carry Marianne through the threshold of a fully finished/stocked castle as a symbol to her and his subjects that the kingdom was finally complete with the addition of a Queen at his side. A smile formed on his face at the thought of Marianne ruling beside him. He'd have to acquire a proper throne for her before marriage, but that could wait for the time being. Right now he was just enjoying being in her presence and savoring their time together.

XXXXX

After nearly an hour of flying and sightseeing, Marianne and Bog decided to stop and rest their wings for a few minutes. They were currently enjoying a private moment within the boughs of a large blackberry bush: Marianne was pressed up against the center stem of the bush and had one of her legs wrapped over Bog's thigh while one hand was behind his head and the other against his chitin-plated chest. He held her thigh up with one hand while the other gently, yet firmly tugged at her hair as they passionately kissed one another. "Spirits above...I love you, tough girl," he gasped as she licked his neck before softly trailing kisses along the sensitive skin that wasn't covered by a carapace or chitin.

"And I love you, my handsome King," she sensually whispered in his ear before feathering kisses along the sensitive cartilage until she lightly nipped the lobe, earning her a soft, yet lustful growl from Bog.

He responded by kissing a trail down her neck and exposed shoulder before taking a chance and kissing the top of the exposed part of her chest, causing her to moan and pop her wings open. Before they could continue further, Marianne and Bog heard a twig snapping from nearby, forcing them to stop and see what it was. Peering through the boughs of the blackberry bush, they spotted a rabbit hopping nearby, causing the two of them to chuckle at their current situation. "So much for showing you around the kingdom," she blushed a deep shade of crimson.

Bog gently caressed her cheek (being mindful of his sharp talons) and smiled, "Do not fret, my bonny lass. I enjoyed the 'tour' thus far." He gave her a wink, which sent a delightful shiver down her spine. "But ye know that no matter where we are I always enjoy spending my time with you. I don't mind if we're flying through a flower patch or having a moment in a berry bush. As long as you're here with me, this right here, is where I want to be."

Marianne felt her heart flutter within her chest as she looked into his sky blue eyes, "Oh Bog, what did I do to deserve someone as wonderful as you?"

He tenderly tilted her chin up and replied in a gentle voice, "Just being you, my beautiful princess."

Just as they were about to embrace once more, they heard voices from below: it was a group of elves and worker fairies coming over to harvest the blackberries from the bush. Silently, Marianne and Bog snuck out of the boughs and flew off in the opposite direction the others came from. They figured it was best not to be seen exiting a rather isolated location as they didn't want any rumors to start spreading as to why they were in the blackberry bush to begin with.

XXXXX

Marianne and Bog soon made their way back to the castle where they reluctantly said their goodbyes for the time being, as the hour was growing late. With a bow, Bog bid farewell to Dagda and Dawn before tenderly placing a chaste kiss upon Marianne's wrist. "I shall see you again soon, tough girl."

She blushed and replied, "Likewise, my handsome king. In the meantime, I'll be sure to compose a list of trade materials once I discuss the matter further with my subjects."

"Same here." Bog smiled and gently caressed her cheek, "Until we meet again, take care, my bonny lass," he then softly kissed her on the lips before reluctantly flying off towards the border.

With a heavy heart, Marianne watched him leave until he was no longer visible, to which she then headed back inside the castle and down into the armory to look for a sword to train with. Ever since she lost her old sword in the castle collapse, Marianne had tested out nearly every melee weapon within the castle and even some ranged ones, but none of them filled the void. Granted, she carried a regular sword around whenever she ventured outside, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't her sword. With a sigh, she gave up on finding a sword to swing and headed off to the library to read and take her mind off of Bog's absence. Granted, she'd see him again soon, but it was becoming harder to be apart from him. She didn't know how she'd make it through the winter without him by her side. 'Don't think like that, Marianne. There's no sense in thinking about winter right now. Just think about the positives. You'll see Bog again soon.' She calmly emitted a sigh and selected a book off the shelf before heading over to her favorite reading nook and sitting down for some quiet time.

XXXXX

Nearly an hour after he left the Fairy Kingdom, Bog entered his castle with a smile upon his face and a light in his eyes. He was overjoyed to have Dagda's blessing to marry Marianne. This meant he could finally gather materials to forge her a ring! He knew there was an amber deposit on the farthest edge of the eastern border of the Dark Forest, for it was there that his great-great grandfather found the very amber that was inlaid on his staff. And it was there he would find the outer inlays for Marianne's ring.

Now, for the center stone, he needed an amethyst. Unfortunately, the only place to find amethysts or other gems, crystals and geodes was far to the north, beyond the Dark Forest and into the rocky depths of the Black Chasm: It was an eerie and foreboding section of Blackstone Mountain. Both goblins and fae folk feared that place for it was a realm of complete darkness where no sunlight could be seen nor wind could be heard. Bog shuddered at the thought of venturing into its pitch depths, but Marianne was worth it.

"I see you've returned from the Fairy Kingdom. So, did you have a good time?" Griselda's voice chimed in as she entered the study where her son was currently located.

Bog glanced up from the map he was studying and smiled, "Indeed I did. The meeting went fine and we now have the Fairy King's permission to open a trade route between our realms. But I'm sure yer more interested in my personal affairs," he gave his mother a knowing look, to which she cheerfully smiled:

"Of course."

"Well then, let me satisfy your curiosity." He sat back in his chair and stated, "King Dagda gave me his blessing which means I now have permission to marry Marianne."

Griselda immediately rushed to his side and hugged him, "Oh my precious boy! I'm so happy for you!" She then asked, "Sooo, when are you going to propose?"

Bog gave her a smile, "I'll ask for her hand after I craft her a ring that is as beautiful and unique as she is. But before I can do that, I'll need to gather the necessary materials."

She glanced over at the map and gasped before facing her son once more, "My dear boy, you don't intend to venture into the Black Chasm do you?"

He nodded, "Aye, that I do. It's the only place to find amethysts and I require one for the center inlay of her ring. I also need two pieces of amber for the outer inlays, but the centerpiece must be an amethyst. My inspiration for the design came from Marianne herself. The amber represents her enchanting eyes that have captivated my heart while the amethyst represents her large, beautiful wings." Bog placed a hand on her shoulder and emitted a sigh, "I understand your concerns, Mother, but my mind is set."

She gave her son a knowing look and squeezed his hand, "I know there's no stopping you, but I need you to promise me that you'll take at least two guards when you leave. You're the King of the Dark Forest and should have some added protection in case you run into trouble."

"I understand, Mother. I'll be sure to ask some of my guards to accompany me when I decide to head out for the Black Chasm."

"You better, because without you, the kingdom has no heir...unless you and Marianne have already started making me some grandchildren…"

"Mother...," he groaned.

"What? I don't know what goes on when I'm not around. I just assume you two are behaving yourselves, but you're adults and are old enough to be partaking in the birds and the bees…"

"I get it, but ye needn't worry. We haven't made you any grandchildren," he fondly smirked. His mind then drifted to Marianne and their possible future:

She was sitting on their bed, while her hands rested on her swollen belly. The babe within was due any day now and everyone within the castle was anticipating its birth. None more so than the children: a boy of five years and a wee bonny girl of three. The boy looked exactly like him, except his plating was dark brown in color (like Marianne's hair) as opposed to grey and his nose was a tad shorter while his ears were a bit longer, but still goblin-like. The skin he had around his face, ears and neck was light brown in color rather than light grey or peachy/pale.

The wee girl had more of her Mother's features, but was still goblin in some aspects. While she was wearing a little, pink dress, it was sleeveless and held up by a pair of straps, which exposed the black plating around her collar and lower arms. Her upper arms, neck, face and head were bare of any plating or chitin, and the skin was pale like her Mother's. However, unlike Marianne, she had black hair as opposed to dark brown and her eyes were the same blue as her brother's.

Both children were currently wingless (as those would develop in a few years) and were on either side of their Mother, feeling their sibling shift and move about within her womb. A smile lined Marianne's divine face as she looked at her children, "It won't be long now, my dears. Soon you'll have a new brother to love and cherish and the Dark Forest will have another prince."

The wee girl hugged Marianne's belly and smiled, "Hi baby brover (brother), it's me, your big sisser (sister), Aislinn. And over there is your big brover, the Mahsh Pwince (Marsh Prince), but it's actually just Mahsh." That comment got the boy to playfully roll his eyes, to which his sister continued, "He's called the Mahsh Pwince because he's the oldest and it's wha evrbety (what everybody) calls him...otha tan (other than) me, Mama, Daddy, Gammy, Gampy (Grammy, Grampy), Aunie Dawn and Unka Sunny (Auntie_ Uncle_). I tink (think) you'll like it here. Mama and Daddy say you'll be here soon. Right Mama?" She looked up at Marianne who nodded:

"That's right, my little one. Your little brother will be here any day now."

The boy (Marsh) looked up at her and asked, "Will he look like me and Dad? Or will he look like Aislinn?"

She smiled and gently rubbed his head, "We'll have to wait and see when he comes out."

"I ish (wish) he'd come out now. I wanna see him," the wee girl (Aislinn) pouted.

"Patience, little one. I don't want him coming out just yet. Not until your Daddy comes home from his council meeting in the Fairy Kingdom."

"Bog...Bog? Are you alright, honey?" Griselda waved a hand in front of her son, trying to get his attention.

The goblin king blinked and snapped back to attention, "Hmm? What'd ye say?"

"I asked, 'When do you plan to head out to the Black Chasm?' but you didn't seem to hear me."

"Sorry, I guess my mind is elsewhere at the moment. That, and my flight left me a bit tired all of a sudden."

She gently rubbed his arm and smiled, "It's alright, my dear. You go ahead and head off to bed. It's getting late and your day has been rather eventful."

"Very well. I'll see you in the morning," he gently hugged his Mother before getting up from his desk and heading out of the study and into his bedchamber for the night.

XXXXX

Once Bog left, Griselda headed off into her own chamber for the night. Upon closing the door, she waddled over to an old portrait and smiled: it depicted an image of her younger self, her late husband and Bog when he was a wee lad of four years. The King looked identical to their son as he is now: very tall, chitin-plated, blue eyes, a stern face, sharp nose and dragonfly-like wings. The only difference between Bog and his Father was the fact that the late King's chitin was black in color and he had a long scar along the left side of his face as a result of fighting off a scorpion. Ironically, that's how he and Griselda first met:

The Prince was out patrolling through the Dark Forest when he spotted a young goblin maiden harvesting medicinal plants. She was a vision of loveliness with elegant horns atop of her head and long, silky auburn hair that was tied up in a pair of braids to keep it out of her eyes while she worked. As he approached to speak to her, a large scorpion suddenly appeared from the hollow of a fallen tree. Thinking quickly, he drew out his sword (this was before he was given the staff), and engaged in combat with the beast. He managed to block its pincers, but it's stinger suddenly jabbed at him. He moved right before it could pierce through his skull, but ended up being grazed by the sharp stinger. Regardless of the injury, he fought the beast and prevented it from harming her.

Meanwhile, the maiden grabbed her dagger (she had been using it to cut plants), and charged forward. Together they fought the scorpion and delivered several injuries to its frame and even managed to cut off two of its six legs before it finally collapsed and bled out. "Spirits above, are you alright?!"

He glanced at the fair maiden and nodded, "Aye, I'll be fine."

"But you're bleeding! Come, let me help you out," She gently tugged on his arm and led him over to a large rose bush where they carefully made their way through the thorny shrub until they reached a small wooden cottage in the center. Upon entering, she had him sit down to which she gathered some water in a bowl and grabbed a clean rag to wash his wound. "Now this might sting a little but I need to clean your wound."

He nodded and winced as she gently dabbed his cheek. "By the way...thank you for saving my life."

His blue eyes met her hazel ones and he smiled, "You're welcome. Might I ask yer name?"

"My name's Griselda. What's yours?"

"I am the Loch Prince."

Her eyes widened almost comically, "Y-You're the Prince?! Oh...your Majesty, I…"

He politely held up his hand to silence her, "Ye needn't be so formal with me, lass. Also, I appreciate you assisting me."

She blushed, "Well it's the least I can do. After all, you saved my life. Though it was a bit reckless of you to step in front of that scorpion. It could have pierced your skull."

"I may have been reckless, but it was all I could think of at the moment. I realize now that I could have grabbed ye and flown off, but then that beast would still be roaming out there and could have attacked someone else or come back for ye."

With a frown, she gently began applying medicinal ointment to heal/disinfect the cut, "Regardless, you're the Prince of the Dark Forest. You need to be more careful. I was capable of handling myself."

He chuckled, "Ah yes, with that wee blade ye call a weapon."

She playfully rolled her eyes and continued to apply salve until she finished and smoothed part of a comfy leaf over his cheek. "There we go, you're all patched up. Though, I can't guarantee if it'll scar or not."

"Thank ye for your help, Griselda."

"You're welcome, Loch."

The former Queen emitted a sigh and sadly smiled up at the painting, "Oh Loch, you'd be so proud of our son. He's becoming more like you with each passing day. I wish you were here to see him and meet Marianne. I know you'd like her. She makes our boy so happy...like you did for me when you were…," she couldn't finish her sentence. She didn't want to finish it. A tear rolled down her cheek as she tried to suppress the grief she felt. She missed her husband dearly and longed to see him again. Even for a moment. She missed his handsome face, gentle blue eyes and deep, accented voice.

With a sad sigh, she opened her wardrobe and pulled out a black hooded cloak, to which she adorned it over herself and pulled out a piece of parchment before writing a small message to Bog before heading out of her room. Griselda then walked down the hall and through the castle, skillfully managing to avoid the guards in the process before slipping over to the stables where the dragonflies were kept.

Upon mounting one, she took off and headed deeper into the Dark Forest until she reached the Mourning Yew. It was apparently the oldest tree within the realm and beneath its roots sat the largest subterranean graveyard in the forest. Thousands of goblins were buried in its depths, but at the very heart of the graveyard sat the royal crypt, which dated all the way back to the kingdom's founding many moons ago.

After landing, Griselda dismounted her dragonfly and waddled over to the ancient and foreboding yew tree, to which she opened a pair of large doors leading down into a hollowed base. Afterwards, she descended down a wide staircase leading into a dark cavern where the only lights came from small bioluminescent mushrooms along the walls. Her feet met the soft spongy moss of the graveyard floor and her nose was filled with a rich earthy smell that was all too familiar: she had spent many lonely nights within the royal crypt after her husband's passing. Often she'd fall asleep against his epitaph and would awake to the sad reality of his absence.

She approached the royal crypt and emitted a sigh as her hand reached for the door. The crypt was made of stone and mortar and was quite large in size. Upon entering, she slowly made her way over to where her husband rested and placed a hand upon the cold stone epitaph which read:

Here lies Loch

Son of Swamp and Genevieve

Husband of Griselda

Father of Bog

Born_

Reigned from_and Died_

Weep not for me, my darling,

For I walk beside ye, always.

Griselda sat beside his stone and softly smiled at the beautiful message, for they were in fact, the last words he spoke to her before his death. No. She didn't want to think about that horrible day. It pained her too much to dwell on it and she wanted to remember Loch as he was in life: charming, patient, strong, handsome, stern yet kindly, an honorable King, a wonderful husband and a loving Father.

"Oh Loch, I know you told me not to weep, but sometimes I can't help myself. There are days where I feel lost without you and it terrifies me. I just wish I knew you were doing alright. I miss our long conversations and our moonlit walks. You were such a romantic even though you tried not to let it show. I know it was you who always hid rose petals around the castle for me to find," she fondly smiled and rubbed the stone. "You were a good husband, Loch. I already know our son is going to be just like you when he marries. I'm just sad you won't be physically here for the wedding, but I know you'll be watching from wherever you are. I lofe you Loch." She then kissed her fingers and touched the stone before turning her attention to a much smaller stone on the left side of Loch's. It read:

Our Wee Princess

Daughter of Loch and Griselda

Died_

Held for a moment, cherished forever

She sadly smiled and gently rubbed the little stone, "Hello sweetpea, Momma's here to visit you and your Father. I'm sorry I haven't stopped by in a little while, but a lot has happened in the last month. I don't want to bore you with all the details, but something wonderful has happened: your brother finally found lofe. I know you two never met, but I have a feeling that if you had, you would have adored him. I know he would have lofed you. On a different note, I hope your Father is looking after you. I'm sure he's happy to be with you." Griselda wiped away a stray tear, "You were dearly missed...You're still missed, but I know I'll see you and your Father again someday. For now, I have to head back to the castle before I'm missed by your little brother...well, he's not so little anymore. He's actually as tall and handsome as your Father was. Until I return, know that I lofe you my little one." She then kissed her fingers once more and touched the little stone before picking herself off the mossy ground and heading out of the crypt.

Afterwards, she made her way through the massive graveyard and up the stairway leading to the surface where her dragonfly was casually perched atop a nearby tree root. When it landed, she mounted up and flew back towards the castle.

When she finally reached the stables, Griselda put the dragonfly away for the night and quietly made her way inside the castle, slipping past the guards, and removing her cloak. She then headed back up to the bedchambers and entered her room, placing her cloak inside her wardrobe and climbing into bed for the evening. Taking one last glance towards the painting, Griselda smiled and softly whispered, "Goodnight, my lofe."

(Authors Note: I am so, so, sorry for ending this chapter on a sad note, but I promise it was done with the best intentions. I just wanted to put in a little backstory for Griselda. I know it's sad, but there are some happy bits and to be fair, she doesn't think about her personal losses so much as she thinks about her son, the kingdom and her future daughter-in-law of course. Okay, she also thinks about grandchildren :) Also, if you're wondering why there are no dates on the gravestones it's because we don't exactly know what year this whole story takes place (assuming they go by the same yearly calendar we do), nor do we really know how old everyone is. Obviously there are dates on the stones, but that's for Griselda and the others to see, not us. Again, I'm sorry about that. Also, for those of you who may be wondering why the baby had no name it's because she was never born. She sadly passed away 18 months into her 23 month development in the womb. Also, it was common for a stillborn to be buried without a name. Plus, with her being a princess, she would have been named upon her presentation to the kingdom, but because she passed before her expected birth, she was never presented and therefor, never named. But I'm sure her parents had a name in mind regardless. They just followed the sad tradition, but perhaps they wrote her name down in a private record meant for their descendants' eyes only? Obviously it wouldn't be in the public records. Also, she would have been about three years older than Bog if she were alive. Again, I am so, so, so sorry for doing this, but sometimes in order for a story to have a happy ending, there needs to be some sadness along the way. The folks working for Disney know exactly what I'm talking about. I promise the next chapter will be brighter.)